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Paternity testing

Our paternity testing history

LGC has been conducting paternity and relationship tests since 1989. Our paternity testing laboratory is accredited by the Ministry of Justice as a body that may carry our parentage testing directed by the courts in England & Wales under section 20 of the Family Law Reform Act 1969. We also comply with the UK Department of Health’s published Voluntary Code of Practice and Guidance on Genetic Paternity Testing Services.

Our work is UKAS accredited to the quality standard BS EN ISO 17025, which ensures the quality of our work from an initial enquiry through to the reporting of our results. Our testing is carried out in the UK in our own purpose-built laboratories and is performed by fully qualified scientific staff. All samples will be destroyed after one month from the date of report and casework documentation will be securely held for one year, after which time it will be destroyed.

DNA paternity testing for legal cases

We analyse certain parts of the DNA from each person (mother, child and possible father) using STR (Short Tandem Repeat) profiling techniques. We are able to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, whether a person is the father of a child.

As each of us inherits half of our DNA from our father and half from our mother, the DNA profiling technique compares the DNA patterns from the possible father, mother and child in order to establish the identity of a person’s true father or mother or siblings.

We can also prove other relationships such as:

Identical twins

Mother/brothers/sisters/grandparents

Family relationships in immigration matters

Immigration DNA testing

LGC offers DNA testing services to assist individuals who need to provide evidence of biological relationships for immigration purposes to satisfy the requirements of the UK Border Agency.

Immigration testing may be any of the following:

Paternity testing / immigration paternity testing

Maternity testing

Sibling testing

Testing between relatives such as grandparentage testing and aunt/uncle DNA testing.